Sale: Nomos 7, Lot: 21. Estimate CHF25000.  Closing Date: Tuesday, 14 May 2013.  Sold For CHF46000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THRACE, Ainos. circa 360/350 BCE. Tetradrachm (Silver, 15.29 g 11). Head of Hermes facing, turned slightly to left, wearing a petasos. Rev. ΑΙΝΙΟΝ Male goat, with somewhat curved horns, standing to right; to right, vertical thunderbolt. May, Ainos, -. Apparently unique and unpublished save for its auction appearances. A remarkable and impressive piece with a highly emotional and intense head of Apollo. Extremely fine.

From the Spina Collection, ex Triton VIII, 11 January 2005, 244, Triton VII, 12 January 2004, 161 and Münzen und Medaillen 81, 18 September 1995, 46.

This coin was probably struck just before, or just after, the last major series of tetradrachms from Ainos (May Group LXIV): it shares the emotional character of the portraits and the lack of even a trace of incuse on the reverse. It appears to have been made by a master engraver who produced a die that resulted in a coin of exquisitely high relief. The head is, in fact, rather similar in features to those of the contemporary and later drachms, beginning with May Period IV, Groups LXV and following. Another factor in its placement comes from the thunderbolt symbol, which is so closely related to the eagle of Group LXIV.